VOLXXVNo4
AHNTNPI,11
LuG
JL1TI
ICDO Q AR1TID LYE
IN THE WONDERLAND OF PERU
The Work Accomplished by the Peruvian Expedition of
1912, under the Auspices of Yale University and
the National Geographic Society
BY HIRAM BINGHAM, DIRECTOR OF THE EXPEDITION
Prof. Hiram Bingham's explorations in South America, 1906-19r1, and par
ticularly his discoveries in 1911, were so important that when he was seeking funds
for another Peruvian expedition in 1912, the Research Committee of the National
Geographic Society made him a grant of $zo,ooo, Yale University contributing an
equal amount. His preliminary report to the National Geographic Society and
Yale University of the work done in 1912 is printed herewith, and forms one of
the most remarkable stories of exploration in South America in the past 50 years.
The members of the Society are extremely gratified at the splendid record which
Dr. Bingham and all the members of the expedition have made, and as we study
the 250 marvelous pictures which are printed with this report, we also are thrilled
by the wonders and mystery of Machu Picchu. What an extraordinarypeople the
builders of Machu Picchu must have been to have constructed, without steel imple
ments, and using only stone hammers and wedges, the wonderful city of refuge on
the mountain top.-EDITOR.
INTRODUCTORY
THE Peruvian Expedition of 1912,
under the auspices of Yale Uni
versity and the National Geo
graphic Society, was organized with the
specific purpose of carrying on the work
begun by the Yale Peruvian Expedition
of 1911. It was not intended to cover
such a large area as had been done the
year before, but to do intensive work in
a part of the field where only reconnais
sance work had been previously at
tempted.
The staff of the expedition consisted
of the following: Prof. Hiram Bingham,
director; Prof. Herbert E. Gregory, ge
ologist: Dr. George F. Eaton, osteologist;
Mr. Albert H. Bumstead, chief topogra
pher: Mr. Ellwood C. Erdis, archeologi
cal engineer; Dr. Luther T. Nelson, sur
geon; Messrs. Kenneth C. Heald and
Robert Stephenson. assistant topogra
phers, and Messrs. Paul Bestor, Osgood
Hardy, and Joseph Little, assistants.
The director, osteologist, and the two
assistant topographers left New York
May 16, and were followed three weeks
later by most of the others. The geolo
gist was not able to leave until August;
but as the plans for his work called for
a study of a comparatively small region,
the three months that he was able to
spend in Peru were sufficient for his
needs. Practically the entire party re
turned to New York in the latter part of
December, after an absence of seven
months.
With one exception, the members of the
expedition enjoyed fairly good health
during their stay in the field. An occa
sional acute gastritis or enteritis resulted
from indiscretions in diet. Assistant
Hardy and the soldier who accompanied
the topographical party suffered a slight
attack of malaria, but this was soon over
come by quinine.
In making a reconnaissance of the ex
tremely inaccessible and primitive ruins
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VOL. XXIV, No. 4
WASHINGTON
APRIL, 1913